Fludarabine Followed by Vaccine Therapy and White Blood Cell Infusions in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant melanoma

  • Metastatic or unresectable disease
• Measurable disease
• HLA-A2 positive
• Received at least 1 prior immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease (first 6 patients only)
• No known brain metastases unless previously treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery AND is stable for at least 1 month after treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusions allowed)
• Hematocrit ≥ 24%
• No other active bleeding

Hepatic

• Bilirubin < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless due to Gilbert's disease)
• AST and ALT < 3 times ULN
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative

Renal

• Creatinine < 2 mg/dL
• No uncontrolled hypercalcemia

Cardiovascular

• No uncontrolled symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled hypertension

Pulmonary

• No uncontrolled bronchospasm
• No hemoptysis

Immunologic

• Negative serology for all of the following:

  • HIV-1 and HIV-2
  • HTLV-1 and -2
  • Syphilis
• Rheumatoid factor < 43 units/μL
• Anti-nuclear antibody < 11 units/μL
• No history of multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or myasthenia gravis
• No primary or secondary immunodeficiency
• No active infection
• No allergy to seafood or shellfish that would preclude study participation

Other

• No active gastrointestinal bleeding
• No uncontrolled hyperglycemia
• No other medical or psychiatric condition or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3-4 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior immunization with gp100:209-217(210M) peptide

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

• More than 2 weeks since prior steroid therapy except replacement steroids or inhaled steroids
• No concurrent corticosteroids except replacement steroids
• No concurrent dexamethasone

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery

Other

• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy